The Celebrity Therapist

Possible Love Addiction Woes For Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Sherry Gaba LCSW, Psychotherapist, Life and Recovery Coach on Celebrity Rehab on VH1 and Author of “The Law of Sobriety” which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addiction. Please download your copy of “Eliminate Limiting Beliefs”, from Sherry’s, Enrich Your Life series. Contact Sherry at sherry@sgabatherapy.com for webinars, teleseminars, coaching packages and speaking engagements. Listen to Sherry talk about “Attracting Positive Energy For Powerful Recovery” on VividLife.com.

The LA Times broke the story aboutSchwarzenegger’s love child on May 16, 2011. It has been reported that Schwarzenegger has a ten-year old child with a former house staffer. The consequences of his actions may have cost him his marriage to Maria Shriver. They have been married for twenty-five years. The California Governor is not new to the scandal arena.

This action star, former Mr. Olympia, successful businessman and former Governor of California has seen his fare share of scathing headlines. Tales of sexual and personal misconduct earned him the nickname “Gropegate”. Several women have come forward accusing Schwarzenegger of acting in an appropriate fashion. His laze faire reaction to these past allegations and his current situation warrants concern. Does Arnold Schwarzenegger have an addiction to love? While no formal diagnosis has been reported, Schwarzenegger’s behavior does resonate with some red flags for love addiction.

Love addiction is a condition where an individual becomes addicted to the physical and mental feelings that manifest when one believes they are in love. Though closely related to sex addiction, these terms are not interchangeable. A professional in the addiction field can treat this affliction. Therapists, counselors and others in the addiction field can empower an individual to deal with their love addiction head on. The consequences of love addiction can include: divorce, infidelity, and children with several partners along with the increased possibility of cross-addictions. How does this relate to Schwarzenegger?

With a history of steroid use, from his body building days, having used marijuana in those days as well, the combination of being extremely competitive, driven to succeed no matter what and the allegations of sexual and personal misconduct, he shows warning signs of a deeper affliction. While this is not a formal diagnosis, simply examining documented behavior, the question does arise if Schwarzenegger is a love addict?

As this story continues to unfold, there should be concern and positive thoughts towards Schwarzenegger’s wife and children. Two of his children have tweeted about the situation. His daughter Katherine stated:

“This is definitely not easy but I appreciate your love and support as I begin to heal and move forward in life. I will always love my family!”

Maria Shriver released a statement as well:

“This is a painful and heartbreaking time,” she said. “As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment.”

The hope that more innocent people will remain unscathed by Schwarzenegger’s actions is not on solid ground. The consequences of Schwarzenegger’s actions not only inflicted pain on his wife and their children, but on the ten-year-old child he chose to keep hidden.

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